Snyder's thinking of raising fees and privatizing roadwork.

**kraig** · October-07-11, 10:44 AM

http://detnews.com/article/20111007/...izing-roadwork

**Cincinnati_Kid** · October-07-11, 11:16 AM

What else is new? This clown is hell bent on destroying this state.

**Wesley Mouch** · October-07-11, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by kraig

http://detnews.com/article/20111007/...izing-roadwork

What's the story here. Sounds like he's just being a good manager of public monies.

**Scottathew** · October-07-11, 11:49 AM

Folks employed by the state, while they are hard workers, are generally over-compensated. Keep in mind not only do they get a good wage, they also have great benefits, AND A PENSION.

If labor unions wanted to give up pensions we could avoid privatizing, but I don't see that happening.

**antongast** · October-07-11, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by 48091

Folks employed by the state, while they are hard workers, are generally over-compensated. Keep in mind not only do they get a good wage, they also have great benefits, AND A PENSION.

Not if they were hired in the last 14 years, they don't.

**kraig** · October-07-11, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

What's the story here. Sounds like he's just being a good manager of public monies.

Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. You may want to read the article again.

**Wesley Mouch** · October-07-11, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by antongast

Not if they were hired in the last 14 years, they don't.

Unless they are funding the pension with employee contributions, I'd say they are getting a pension.

Looks like the cap on pension payments is 7% of wages -- and payments by taxpayers to workers was 8.1% of total wages. 8.1% of wages is money given to state employees for purposes of retirement.

**Wesley Mouch** · October-07-11, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by kraig

Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. You may want to read the article again.

Good advice. I did. What's the past that we'd be doomed to repeat? Sounds like Gov. Snyder is trying to work on efficiency in management of road commissions, and matching revenues to expenditures. Given the condition of Michigan's roads in comparison to other states, it seems wise to me. Except for the obligatory attacks on anyone who tries to accomplish things, what am I missing here?

**kraig** · October-07-11, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Good advice. I did. What's the past that we'd be doomed to repeat? Sounds like Gov. Snyder is trying to work on efficiency in management of road commissions, and matching revenues to expenditures. Given the condition of Michigan's roads in comparison to other states, it seems wise to me. Except for the obligatory attacks on anyone who tries to accomplish things, what am I missing here?

Engler already tried this and it didn't work. Road projects are already constructed by contractors. So what exactly is he hoping to accomplish? It appears that he's looking to have his fingers in every contractual pie. Which reminds me of what Kwame was doing for Ferguson and Bing has been doing for DTE.

**Novine** · October-07-11, 04:20 PM

Following up on kraig's point, most of the money spent by MDOT isn't going to pay for employees. MDOT isn't out there construction and rebuilding state roads and highways. Most of that is contracted out to private companies. The engineers and people on the MDOT staff who oversee these contracts are not, contrary to what 48091 claims, overcompensated compared to their peers who do the same work in the private sector.

**313WX** · October-07-11, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

What else is new? This clown is hell bent on destroying this state.

No, he's just hell bent on coverting it to Texas-lite.

Oh wait, I guess that's the same thing as destroying the state...

**detroitsgwenivere** · October-07-11, 06:21 PM

Next thing you know, terms like "toll-roads" and "chinese-built" will mysteriously appear on the front pages of the newspapers.

**Richard** · October-07-11, 09:29 PM

Increasing competition for highway maintenance, with public agencies invited to bid against private firms.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111007/...#ixzz1a9ZRVJTM

Public agencies are working with tax dollars not a very level playing field there.

**j to the jeremy** · October-08-11, 07:51 PM

The most interesting line to me was the last one. Snyder seems interested in pushing for the RTA. Good to hear.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · October-08-11, 08:51 PM

Just because he's doing things different from the status quo, doesn't necessarily mean it's good.

**Novine** · October-08-11, 09:18 PM

"Just because he's doing things different from the status quo, doesn't necessarily mean it's good."

But...it's reform!

**DetroitPlanner** · October-08-11, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

Increasing competition for highway maintenance, with public agencies invited to bid against private firms.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111007/...#ixzz1a9ZRVJTM

Public agencies are working with tax dollars not a very level playing field there.

Engler tried this too and the results were a disaster.

Having road commissions regularly spaced out makes sense. You can't centralize everything. If you do you end up dispatching the salt trucks for macomb county out of Lansing. How is this better? Snow needs to be adressed fast. If not, it means the economy goes on a holiday. The factories, schools, and stores all close. Those needing emergency assistance from police or fire will not get any help or it will be severely late.

**Jason** · October-09-11, 12:08 AM

So he wants more money for infrastructure, and he's pushing the RTA, which I think is great.

I'm not really a fan of privatization.

I am a fan of regional level consolidation though.

DetroitPlanner: Does consolidating the organization necessarily mean consolidating the facilities? I think by consolidating you would be able to place and use facilities more strategically and dynamically so some might close or open, but in general I wouldn't think so.

Also, why is an RTA [[a regional consolidation) for light rail and buses good but a consolidation for road stuff bad?

**EL Jimbo** · October-09-11, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Unless they are funding the pension with employee contributions, I'd say they are getting a pension.

Looks like the cap on pension payments is 7% of wages -- and payments by taxpayers to workers was 8.1% of total wages. 8.1% of wages is money given to state employees for purposes of retirement.

You'd say wrong. At this point, at least half of the employees [[probably more) of the current state employees are on a 401k program...and the ones still on the pension are mostly within 5 years of retirement at this point.

**EL Jimbo** · October-09-11, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by 48091

Folks employed by the state, while they are hard workers, are generally over-compensated. Keep in mind not only do they get a good wage, they also have great benefits, AND A PENSION.

If labor unions wanted to give up pensions we could avoid privatizing, but I don't see that happening.

This is an EXTREMELY misinformed post. The pension program was phased out in 1997. Most current employees are on a 401K. Yes, benefits are pretty good, but state employees have had to give back some of them in recent years. Also, wages for state employees [[as well as most public employees) tend to lag behind their private sector counterparts.

Studies have shown that public employees as a whole are typically paid a total compensation [[combined wages and benefits) that tends to run about 5% less than private sector employees of similar age, experience, and education.

**oldredfordette** · October-09-11, 07:53 AM

Yes but that doesn't feed into the union-hating, privitization mantra of the right. When Snyder is done handing out pieces of our state to his friends and doesn't run for a second term, you can blame the next Democratic governor who arrives to try and fix the mess.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · October-09-11, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by oldredfordette

Yes but that doesn't feed into the union-hating, privitization mantra of the right. When Snyder is done handing out pieces of our state to his friends and doesn't run for a second term, you can blame the next Democratic governor who arrives to try and fix the mess.

Good point. Snyder is going to destroy this state, then everyone is going to blame Obama.

**coracle** · October-10-11, 09:19 AM

We need to do something with our decaying infrastructure. While the rest of the developed world is investing their money [[and our money) in roads, bridges, transport, buildings, oil, energy, rail, making their countries easier to live in etc. we are investing ours in Public Sector Wages and Pensions, Unions, people who layabout doing nothing and non achievers in general to the detriment of the Private Sector that is taxed to make the whole thing work - or not!

**East Detroit** · October-10-11, 05:51 PM

Aren't we supposed to call them Johnny and Ricky?

You know, like people called the female Governor by her first [[diminutive) name?

**ghettopalmetto** · October-10-11, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by coracle

We need to do something with our decaying infrastructure. While the rest of the developed world is investing their money [[and our money) in roads, bridges, transport, buildings, oil, energy, rail, making their countries easier to live in etc. we are investing ours in Public Sector Wages and Pensions, Unions, people who layabout doing nothing and non achievers in general to the detriment of the Private Sector that is taxed to make the whole thing work - or not!

You're right. It's those damned MDOT engineers, laying around doing nothing, looking out for the public interest, who are killing the State of Michigan. They should be compensated as if they were migrant farm workers.